Where does “princess” come from?
Princess comes from Middle English princesse, from Old French princesse, a feminine form denoting a woman of royal rank or the wife of a prince.
princess (English): A female member of a royal family other than a...
Definitions
- A female member of a royal family other than a...
Ancestry of “princess”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | princesse | — |
| 2 | Old French | princesse | princess |
| 3 | Old French | prince | prince |
| 4 | Latin | prīnceps | first, foremost |
| 5 | Latin | primoceps | — |
| 6 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |